Green Globe announced certification of the Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden and the Axel Hotel Guldsmeden. These hotels located in Copenhagen, Denmark, are the first two of seven properties of the Hotel Guldsmeden Group to be certified for their sustainability achievements.

Guldsmeden hotels operate under firm ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable guidelines, without compromising the primary goals of good hostmanship and high-quality services, which are key to maintaining the hotels´ intimate, informal, and positive atmosphere. All hotels keep up with the latest developments of technology and customer needs to constantly improve their performance. Guldsmeden passes its environmental spirit on to guests in conversations and on the hotel website, in sustainability checklists provided in guest rooms, or even on paper napkins made of recycled paper and printed with the message “Love food, hate waste” to underline Guldsmeden´s “Less Waste” program.

Kirsten Skovgaard Aggersborg, PR and Communications Manager of the Hotel Guldsmeden Group, said: “We are extremely proud to have obtained the prestigious Green Globe Certificate, thereby confirming that offering a sustainable luxury experience is possible and no contradiction in terms. Green Globe has been instrumental in leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to be 360 degrees ‘green,’ which enables us to now focus on our key objective – good hostmanship.”

Besides comprehensive recycling policies and close monitoring of water and energy consumption with an annual reduction goal of 5 percent, the Hotel Guldsmeden group places great emphasis on supporting the local community. The Axel Hotel, situated in the artistic area Vesterbro, produces local guides and encourages guests to visit local shops, galleries, and restaurants. Guldsmeden has also helped co-found a neighborhood community; hires local staff; and uses – to the greatest possible extent – local, fair trade, and eco-certified suppliers. In line with the hotel group´s goal to be organic, the Axel Hotel has been awarded the official Gold Ø-label by the Danish Ministry of Food&Agriculture that recognizes kitchens using 90-100 percent of organic produce; other hotels are supposed to follow.

Guldsmeden supports HopeNow, an organization working against human trafficking, with financial help and by providing rooms for people in need. Other non-profit organizations are supported through the hotels´ income from on-site bike rental services, which promote bikes as the sustainable way to get around town. Main beneficiary is the Children´s Heart Foundation, that works to share worldwide knowledge and improve the lives of children with heart problems.

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Green Globe Certification’s CEO, Guido Bauer, said: “Guldsmeden hotels are so unique, because they are sustainable on so many different levels. Our independent Green Globe auditor was extremely impressed with the positive energy and level of commitment of both management and staff, which is not only showcased in the overall Sustainability Management Plan, but in little, intelligent actions such as the kitchen using yesterday´s bread as croutons or in a ‘müsli’ that has become a ‘must’ at breakfast buffets. The hotel group has also developed a line of organic skin and hair products, organic textiles, and organic sweets and food.”

Challenges are encountered with a positive attitude and turned into opportunities: with the Axel Hotel being located close to the city´s traditional red-light district, the Hotel Guldsmeden group has been very active in campaigns against human trafficking and use of drugs. Corresponding banners displayed on hotel premises, as well as neighborhood buildings, generated great media coverage – and were just another means for Guldsmeden to help the local community and create a better, more sustainable world.